Scream
by Aranel Lissesul
Summary: Gaara finally starts acting like a brother, and then things fall apart, quickly. Kankurou and Temari get some help from an friend, who wishes as much as they do to have Gaara back.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Now, first, I want to let you know that Gaara will act out of character at times

A/N: Now, first, I want to let you know that Gaara will act out of character at times! This is only because he is mentally unstable. I dislike having characters out of character, but Gaara must be at times for this story, otherwise the plot line doesn't work. Sorry if this bugs you, but please give my story a chance, even if you dislike how 'childish' Gaara acts at times. Hey, if you were mentally unstable, I don't think you would act normal either. –laughs- He's possessed and he's 12 for pity's sake, people, he's gonna be a ticking time bomb and childish at times! Thanks for putting up with my rant, now for the story.

Chapter One

Gaara rolled o00ver, staring at his wall. His red hair tousled from lying in bed, his dark rimmed aqua eyes emotionless as usual. His usual outfit of dark red shirt and tan kaki pant were rumpled badly.

He knew it was time to get up. He knew they would be waiting for him. He knew he couldn't stay in bed forever and that he would eventually have to get up… He also knew he no longer felt like he had the power to do so.

A knock at the door made Gaara jump slightly. "Who is it?" He said in his flat, monotone voice. He heard a light laugh on the other side of the door.

"Gaara, it's just me Sorji, lemme in." The voice drawled easily.

Sorji was the only person outside his family that Gaara trusted. Of course his family now only consisted of Temari and Kankurou, his older brother and sister. But now, Gaara considered Sorji part of his family as well.

Sorji was a young man of 19 years; He had known Gaara when they were children. But after Gaara's uncle, Yashamaru, betrayed Gaara and tried to assassinate him, Sorji left the Village hidden in the Sand and was labeled as a Rouge Ninja. He took refuge in the Village hidden in the Leaves. No one in that village knew about him, so Sorji was safe from the ANBU.

Years later, when Gaara was 12 and 1/2, Sorji came back to the Village hidden in the Sand and found that the Sand village had reconciled with the Village hidden in the Leaves. Wondering what had happened to the village's 'demon child', his former acquaintance, Sorji went in search of Sabaku no Gaara.

A year and a half had passed since then, Gaara and Sorji had become good friends, and Gaara was happier now then he ever had been. Of course, happy could be an overstatement. For who can truly be really happy when one is possessed by a butt-ugly demon that causes you to have insomnia for over 8 years? Who can be happy when one's parents despised you until the day they died? Who can be happy knowing that the entire village could form a gigantic mob at any given moment, ready to chase you from the village and kill you simply for existing?

"Gaara? You gonna let me in or what?" Sorji called again.

Gaara blinked, shaking the wispy, smoke like tendrils of memories from his mind. "You may come in." He said, his tone still flat, polite, but flat nonetheless.

The door was pushed open and Sorji stood there. He didn't step in; he just stood there, leaning casually against the door. His usual black attire making him look like a demented shadow come to life. Sorji brushed his cropped jet-black hair out of his eyes, which were a startling green.

Gaara's aqua eyes locked with Sorji's. "Well?" Gaara asked, a hint of annoyance underlining his words.

Sorji's mouth rounded into an 'O' shape. "Woke up on the wrong side of bed?" He asked, smirking slightly.

Gaara would have growled, but that seemed childish so he chose the alternative. He rolled over so his back was facing his friend and closed his eyes. "I don't sleep." He grumbled. "Can't." He mumbled, trying to sound as grouchy as possible. "Stupid Shukuku."

Sorji stood there for a moment, then grinned. "Gaa-ra…" He teased, stretching Gaara's name out. He watched as the red head's shoulders tensed in anticipation of an attack. "I'm gonna tickle you if you don't stop being a grouch." He warned in a singsong voice.

"No you're not. My sand will stop you." Gaara growled then told Sorji to leave, some not-so-nice swear words accompanying his request/command.

"O-hoh, now you've done it. One massive tickle fight coming right up!" Sorji crowed, launching himself towards the bed, landing on it belly first. Thus ensuing the tickle fight of the century.

Gaara shrieked and, yes, even laughed! His voice cracking with giggles as he pleaded and begged Sorji to stop tickling him. Finally, both boys collapsed, chuckling, breathless, and exhausted.

Sorji rolled over and smiled at Gaara, not in the least surprised when Gaara smiled back. It wasn't a half smile, or even a fake smile, like the ones he gave Temari and Kankurou, it was a real smile.

Sorji was the only one who could get Gaara to really smile, much less laugh. Temari and Kankurou had no idea how he did it, they only knew that Sorji was just as much a part of Gaara's life as they were. Gaara needed Sorji, the two were as close as twins, yet seemed so opposite. Sorji wasn't afraid to laugh and have fun. If one were to play a trick on him, Sorji would soon have caught the afore said person with a trick of his own. Whereas Gaara needed gentle coaxing and tempting in order to be withdrawn from his cold emotionless shell. With Temari and Kankurou, it took time to get Gaara to relax around them at first, but with Sorji, Gaara relaxed instantly. With Sorji, Gaara almost acted like a normal 14 year old.

"So…You gonna come get breakfast?" Sorji asked.

Gaara chuckled. "My ribs hurt, no thanks to you!" He accused, but his tone was light and teasing. "I don't think I could eat breakfast."

Sorji nodded condescendingly. "Of course you couldn't, but that doesn't mean you won't. You're going to eat breakfast." He ordered.

Gaara flashed a quick grin at Sorji and tunneled under the covers. "No." He said, biting back a giggle.

Sorji heaved a heavy, dramatic sigh and stared up at the ceiling. "When will you learn? I don't take no for an answer. I thought you knew that already!" He said, ripping the covers off of Gaara's body and scooping him up, slinging him over his shoulder.

He ignored Gaara's shrieking protests and carried him like a sack of potatoes, out of his room, down the hall, down the stairs, around the corner and into the kitchen. Gaara protested until they were going down the stairs, then he simply held still and let Sorji carry him the rest of the way.

Sorji dumped Gaara onto one of the kitchen stools and walked over the fridge. He could feel the red head glaring daggers into his back. Sorji opened the fridge and shivered as cool air swelled out of it.

"So what do you want for breakfast?" He asked, quickly closing the fridge door and turning around to face Gaara. He leaned against the counter, face to face with the red head, resting his chin in his hand as he waited for Gaara's answer.

Gaara looked at him dryly. "I'm not hungry." He said quietly.

Sorji snorted sarcastically. "You're never hungry. You'd starve if Kankurou and I didn't force food down your throat." He said.

Gaara rolled his eyes. "I would not! Temari makes cookies! I'd eat cookies any day!"

Sorji laughed at him. "Yeah, then you wouldn't starve, you'd be fat!" He chuckled, ducking as Gaara swung a fist at him.

"Would not!" Gaara said in a tone louder then usual.

"Would too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

This would have gone on for a while, and probably would have gotten violent if Temari hadn't walked in, her tank top and shorts crumpled from sleeping. "What in the world are you two doing?" She asked.

At the same time, both Gaara and Sorji straightened and said. "Nothing!"

Temari stared at them, for a moment unsure as to what to do. "Right…" She mumbled, walking to the fridge and pulling open the door. She lifted the milk carton out and set it on the counter. "Gaara, did you eat any thing yet?" She asked.

Gaara stared at Sorji, then at his older sister. "What is it with people asking me if I have eaten anything?" He protested, he seemed to be doing a lot of that this morning.

"Maybe it's because you're as thin as a twig." A lower voice said.

"Good morning to you too." Gaara growled teasingly, turning around to greet his older brother, Kankurou, who was so modestly dressed in his boxers and nothing more.

Kankurou looked at his little brother, mentally assessing what mood Gaara was in before deciding he was sane. He relaxed and tousled Gaara's hair. "Hey, we're allowed to worry about you a little, right? After all, you are my kid brother."

"And my brother!" Temari added, not wanting to be left out. By now, she had mentally thanked Sorji a million times for putting Gaara in a good mood. Feeling a bit more confident, she pulled a box of cereal out of the cabinet. "Gaara. Eat." She said simply.

Gaara glared at Temari as Kankurou flopped onto the stool beside him. "I'm not hungry!" He insisted, not noticing Sorji grabbing up an apple. "Why are you guys always forcing food down my throat?" He asked, a frown creasing his features.

Sorji crept up behind Gaara and held the apple by its stem, hanging it down in front of Gaara's face.

Gaara stopped in mid-rant. "Ah!" He said, his eyes lighting up. "Okay!" He said, grabbing the apple and biting into it happily.

Temari silently slapped a high-five with Sorji. Mission successful, now Gaara would eat. Once they got him started, Gaara would normally eat an average amount of food, it was just getting him started that was the hard part.

A snore interrupted them. Turning, they saw Kankurou had fallen asleep at the island table. His body was slumped over, a bit of drool leaking out of the corner of his mouth.

Temari, Sorji, and Gaara stared at him for a moment, and then all three burst out laughing. Temari sat down on the floor, tears of laughter streaming down her face. Sorji gripped the edge of the counter, his head bowed, shoulders shaking with laughter. Gaara simply clapped both hands over his mouth to muffle his own giggles.

Kankurou woke with a snort. He sat up, his face slack, an absolutely dumb look on his face. "Wha…?" He said, his eyes half closed. "Why ez everbohee lauhing?" He slurred.

Gaara was now laughing quietly, his shoulders shaking. "Y-you fell asleep….a-at the table…." Gaara gasped, hugging his ribs in an effort to stop laughing.

Temari's giggle's faded as she watched Gaara laugh. It was the first time she had ever really seen him laugh comfortably around her or Kankurou. She glanced over Gaara's head to look at Sorji, amazement on her face. Gaara was getting better, he really was! It was hard to believe that after all this time, Gaara was becoming mentally stable!

Sorji glance at and saw Temari staring at him. He just smiled and nodded, knowing what she was thinking. If Gaara was kept safe and secluded from the town for a while longer, then maybe he would be safe enough to live a semi-normal life.

"Temari?"

The call snapped Temari back to the present; she blinked and turned towards the person who had called her. 'Yes Gaara?"

Gaara looked up at her from his place at the counter, swinging his legs slightly on the stool. "Are you gonna make cookies today?" He asked, his eyes hopeful.

Temari laughed. "Gaara….I just made cookies last week! You can't possibly want more!" She exclaimed, still chuckling.

Gaara looked up at her. "…Please?" He begged. For a moment, he looked like a normal 12-14 year old kid; his eyes no longer held that shut-up inside look.

Temari stared at him, a resigned smile growing on her lips. "Alright, alright!  
She said, throwing both hands up in the air. "I give in. I'll make cookies today."

Gaara grinned at her and nodded, taking another bite out of his apple. He was quiet for a minute, then mumbled. "Maybe…Maybe I could…you know…help you?" His last two words were almost a whisper as he stared down at the counter.

Kankurou's head jerked up like someone had shocked him; his gaze flickered first to Gaara, then to Temari. Had Gaara really just said that? Usually Gaara preferred to be alone, or to talk quietly in his room with Sorji. This was the first time he had actually volunteered to spend time with his brother and sister.

Sorji smiled from behind Gaara, his heart swelling with happiness. Gaara was doing so well, now it was Sorji's job to make sure he didn't crash. The last time he did that…Sorji shivered at the memories of the angry mob that chased Gaara down the streets, the tears of fright streaming down the red head's cheeks, the little yells and screams of surprise as attacks rained down on him, only to be blocked by his sand.

Temari felt tears of happiness welling up in her eyes, they were doing it! With Temari and Kankurou being patient, gentle, and willing to give in to Gaara where it was needed, and with Sorji there to be Gaara's support, they were bringing Gaara around! They were doing it!

Gaara glanced around at his siblings, why weren't they saying anything? Did they not want him to help? Disappointment crushed down on Gaara's heart. "It….it's okay, I don't have to…" He trailed off, his voice quiet.

Temari glanced up, not wanting to loose what little bit of her little brother that had just been offered her. "Oh Gaara, its okay! Of course you can help!" She said hurriedly.

Gaara looked up at her, his eyes shining. "Really?!" He asked, his tone layered with excitement and disbelief.

Temari laughed and nodded. "Sure. What kind should we make?"

Kankurou and Sorji exchanged a glanced and silently mouthed Gaara's next words as he said them.

"Chocolate chip!" Gaara said, bouncing slightly on the stool.

Kankurou chuckled. Chocolate chip was Gaara's favorite cookie, Temari had made sugar cookies last week, and Gaara was mildly disappointed to find that his favorite cookie had been exchanged for a different kind.

Temari smiled. "Alright, we'll make them this afternoon, okay?" She asked, placing her hand on Gaara's head, then turning and getting a bowl out of the cupboard.

Sorji walked up behind Gaara and placed both hands on his shoulders. He bent down and whispered in Gaara's ear. "Good job little brother, I'm proud of you."

Gaara's smile threatened to be the biggest he'd ever smiled. He loved to make Sorji proud, made him feel like he actually could do something good.

Gaara finished eating his apple and tossed the apple core over Kankurou's head, sending it in a flying arch to land directly in the trash can.

Kankurou ducked in anticipation of an apple core landing on him, but when he heard it thunk into the trashcan he slowly sat up. He glanced at Gaara, then at the trashcan and mumbled dryly. "Two points."

Gaara smirked and hopped off the stool, then turned and walked upstairs, muttering something about getting changed.

The rest of the day passed normally. Gaara and Sorji spent a lot of time together, talking, training, and even just sitting quietly on the couch reading. When it was time to make the cookies, Gaara was excited, although you wouldn't be able to tell. After breakfast, his mood had slipped back into its colder shell, so Gaara was a bit more reserved but still friendly.

For Temari, Gaara had just had an enormous breakthrough. As she mixed the cookie dough, she watched Gaara pour in the chocolate chips, then steal a few, popping them into his mouth. She smiled. "If you keep doing that, you won't have any chocolate chips in the cookies!" She teased.

Gaara looked up at her and gave her a small smiled but said nothing. After they carefully put the cookies in the oven, Gaara turned to face Temari. He took a quiet breath, then whispered. "Thanks Temari…I love you." He gave her a quick hug then turned and raced down the basement stairs towards Kankurou's room.

Temari stood there in the kitchen, staring at her little brother's retreating back. Tears welled up in her eyes as she slowly sank to her knees. Her shoulders shook as she buried her face in her hands and began to cry silently. She was completely overwhelmed. That was the first time she'd ever heard Gaara say that he loved her, and she had longed to hear those words for a while now. Usually, Temari was strong, and preferred to stay that way, but those three simple, yet so complicated words, brought her to her knees.

Kankurou was working in his room. He was working on his puppets, carving the faces into perfection, sandpapering the scratches out from previous battles, stuff like that. It wasn't unusual to find Kankurou working on the puppets; he had a ton of them. His whole bedroom was covered in pieces of dismembered puppets that he was in the process of making. Temari called Kankurou's room 'the morgue'. And rightly so, with the puppets hanging lifelessly on the wall, and the knives that Kankurou used for carving littering the desk and dresser, his room looked very much like a morgue. It was almost always dark in Kankurou's room because he slept in the basement. He only had one tiny window that when you looked out, you were eye level with the ground. Great view.

. Kankurou was in the process of carving a new eye for one of his puppets, when he heard a tiny movement at his open door. "Come in or stay out, whichever one you prefer." Kankurou said, not even looking up from his carving.

"Hi Kankurou." Gaara mumbled stepping into the room, looking nervous and jumpy.

Kankurou looked up in surprise; he was expecting it to be Temari, or maybe Sorji. Gaara almost never came down here, and he never came down alone. "Oh. Hey Gaara." Kankurou greeted, trying to sound amiable. Was Gaara on one of his homicidal kicks again?

Gaara walked up to the desk and picked up a wood curl, picking it apart slowly, staring down at it like it held the world's secrets.

"Y…You okay Gaara?" His older brother asked, setting down his carving knife. A frown creased Kankurou's face, he was worried for Gaara.

Gaara nodded silently then dropped the rest of the wood shaving, looking up at his older brother. "Yeah. I'm fine." He said." I just wanted to see what you were doing."

Kankurou nodded. "Oh. Okay. Did you make cookies yet?" He asked, starting to carve again.

Gaara nodded. "Yeah. They're in the oven." He said, walking up the stairs slowly. He stopped when he was halfway up and crouched down so he could still see his brother. "Hey Kankurou?"

"Hmm?" His brother grunted, absorbed in his work.

Gaara hesitated, the whispered. "I….I love you." He whispered, then turned and ran up the rest of the stairs.

Kankurou's knife slipped across the wood, cutting a deep slash into his puppet's eye. He didn't curse or shout like he usually did, but just stared down at the cut, his little brother's words playing over and over again in his mind. Slowly, he picked up his knife and started carving again. But if you looked really hard, through the dark you might be able to see the two tears that trickled down his cheeks. He blamed them on the sawdust.

Sorji looked up and smiled at Gaara flopped down on his bed. "Make yourself at home." He teased.

Gaara just sighed and closed his eyes, draping his forearm across his forehead. After a few minutes of silence, he mumbled. "I did it."

Sorji grinned. "I knew it!" He cheered. "Good job Gaara!" He reached over and tapped Gaara's nose with a finger. "Hey. Look at me."

Gaara's arm flopped back on the bed, revealing his dark rimed aqua eyes. "Hn?" He grunted, looking up at Sorji.

Sorji smiled down at him. "I'm proud of you." He said, using the words that Gaara had never heard until he had met Sorji.

Gaara smiled quietly and looked away. "Do you think they'll get mad at me?" He asked, a small frown creasing his brow.

Sorji snorted. "Mad at you?!" He laughed. "Gaara, Temari and Kankurou are probably so happy they don't know what to do with themselves! You've made them very happy, and you've made me very proud." Sorji had been trying to convince Gaara to tell his siblings that he loved them for sometime now, and finally, he had done it!

Gaara smiled at him and sat up. "Okay." He bit his lip nervously. After a second he leaned over and hugged Sorji. "I love you nii-san." He whispered, resting his head on Sorji's chest.

Sorji smiled and hugged Gaara back. "Love you too little brother." He murmured, resting his chin on top of Gaara's head and rocking him back and forth.

After a while, Sorji could feel Gaara starting to fall asleep. As much as Sorji wanted to let him fall asleep, he knew Gaara couldn't because of Shukuku. "Hey…Gaara…wake up…c'mon…up you go…" He encouraged, propping Gaara up into a sitting position. "There you go... You awake?"

Gaara sighed quietly and nodded, his eyes closed. Sorji watched him for a minute, but when it became apparent that Gaara really was falling asleep, he shook Gaara. "Hey, wake up! I mean it Gaara! Wake up!"

Gaara jumped slightly and his eyes opened. "Huh?" He glanced around. "D…did I fall asleep?" He whispered, a feeling of dread settling over him.

Sorji shook his head. "No…its okay Gaara, you didn't."

Gaara nodded and yawned. "Oh...Good." He stood up and walked towards the door. "I'm going to my room."

Sorji quickly called after him. "Are you gonna stay awake?" He didn't want Gaara flopping down on his bed and falling asleep all over again.

Gaara nodded. "Yep…I'm up." He assured. "Trust me Sorji," He said turned around to face his friend. "I don't want Shukuku to come out any time soon."

Sorji looked at him for a moment then nodded. "Alright."

The rest of the evening passed quickly. Gaara was quiet during dinner, almost like he was thinking. Although what was going on behind those aqua eyes, not even Sorji knew. After dinner, they all hung out in the living room, laughing talking. But Gaara still remained quiet. Finally, a bit put off by Gaara's quiet behavior, everyone dispersed to his or her own rooms.

Gaara climbed the stairs slowly. His head hurt, like Shukuku was trying to make him fall asleep. He swayed slightly as he walked into his room, closing the door behind him. He moaned quietly as he sat down on the edge of his bed, closing his eyes. As he sat there, his head felt like it was trying to explode, throbbing in time to his heartbeat. His world became nothing but pain and the steady rhythmic throbbing of his heart.

Pain…

Black…

Agony…

Alone…

No…not alone…someone was there beside him…

Pain receded.

Black faded.

Agony was no longer his companion.

Gaara's eyes slowly opened, staring up at his ceiling. A dark shadow was off to his right, oddly shaped like a human.

A person…. in his room?

Gaara sat up, his heartbeat quickening. He stared at the shadow, feeling nervous, defensive. "Who are you?" He asked, his hands balling into fists.

The dark shadow walked up to the bed, the figure's arm moved and Gaara saw the glint of moonlight off a knife blade.

Gaara mentally panicked, he felt his muscles quivering in an effort to stay still and not move. "What do you want?"

The blade came closer, the flat of it pressing against his cheek.

Gaara trembled, why wasn't his sand stopping the blade? It wasn't hurting him yet, but it was threatening him, where was his sand?

Slowly, the blade rotated so that the edge was pressing into his cheek, not cutting him, but uncomfortably sharp.

Gaara tried to pull away, but he felt whoever it was grab the back of his head, his fingers tangling in Gaara's red hair. Gaara pulled back and opened his mouth to scream when the knife slid across his skin. A cut appeared on his shoulder. Gaara froze…he was…bleeding…blood…was running down his arm...staining his shirt…the sheets…


	2. Lose a Brother, Gain an Enemy

Chapter Two

A/N: Hello again, sorry it took me so long to up load, life is totally crazy. I should be able to get back to a fairly regular uploading of chapter schedule thingy…yeah…Anyway…I know this chapter is short, please don't kill me for it. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Naruto characters; they all belong to Masashi Kishimoto-sama. Sorji is the only character I can claim rights too. :)

Chapter Two

The person laughed throatily. "Did you really think you could get away without being punished?" The person mocked. "Did you really think that now that Sorji is here, you could forget your miserable past? You're so pathetic Gaara…honestly." The person sneered.

Gaara trembled slightly, then whispered. "W…Who are you? What do you want with me?" He cupped a hand over his cut, feeling the blood seeping between his fingers.

The person laughed again, cruel and mean sounding. "Who am I?" He repeated, still chuckling. "My name is Araag Live, remember that. I'll be back to deal out more of your punishment later. And if your family gets involved, I'll hurt them too." He promised. "Temari's face would look so pretty twisted with scars, don't you think?" The person chuckled.

"No!" Gaara whispered franticly. "Leave them alone! Leave Temari and Kankurou alone!" He pleaded. "I won't tell anyone, just please, please don't hurt them!"

The person laughed quietly and stepped into the shaft of moonlight that was coming in from the window. "Don't worry…" He whispered as Gaara's eyes registered what he looked like. "If you do exactly as I say, then no one but you will get hurt." He promised, his blue eyes a startling contrast to his dark black hair that hung down to his shoulders in matted dirty clumps.

Gaara nodded soundlessly. He had no idea who this guy was, or why he was after him. All he knew was that this man might hurt his family, and Gaara wasn't going to let that happen.

The man chuckled and leaned in, burying his face in Gaara's hair. "You smell like fear…. good…" He whispered, placing a hand on Gaara's shoulder.

Chills ran up Gaara's spine as the man pulled away. Gaara closed his eyes, feeling sick, feeling like he wanted to scream. He heard the window slide open, felt the cold nighttime air wrap around him heartlessly, heard the man step out onto the window ledge and call over his shoulder.

"Hey kid. Even if you do what I say, you're gonna die…keep that in mind. I'm only just beginning with you. The next time I pay you a visit, something is going to go up in smoke." And with that, the window closed.

Gaara was alone…

Again.

Sorji faced Gaara. "Okay, spill. What's going on?" He asked a few days later. Sorji could tell something was erroneous. Over the past few days, little indications had been popping up everywhere, attracting Sorji's attention and concern. Sorji was now bending over the redhead as Gaara sat on his bed, hugging his pillow to his chest, refusing to meet Sorji's green-eyed gaze. He hesitated. No answer. "Hey. Gaara!" He said loudly.

Gaara jumped like someone had shocked him. He blinked and looked up at Sorji. "Hm?" He hummed, his eyes slowly focusing on Sorji's exasperated face. He blinked again. "What?" He asked, sounding confused and lost.

Sorji rolled his eyes up to heaven, an exasperated sigh leaving his lips. "Gaara, you've been so spacey lately. What's going on?" He inquired, straightening slightly, his hands on his hips.

Gaara stared up at him, reluctant to answer. His lips parted and he took a small breath, his chest expanding slightly. Memories flickered in his mind again. That man. Araag. Araag Live. That was his name. The dark hair hanging in tangles. The bright blue eyes. Sickly pale skin. That man had been visiting every night, each night giving him another small cut as a warning. He never said why, he never explained his actions; he only left the threat that, should Gaara ever tell, his family would be hurt. _'I can't tell….I can't tell him…Sorji….He might hurt Sorji…he promised he would if I told…I can't tell…I can't!'_ A whimper slid past his lips and a shudder racked his body.

"Gaara!" Sorji shouted. "I mean it, stop fooling!" Sorji's heart was pounding with fear for his friend. Acting on impulse and not thought, he grabbed Gaara's shoulders roughly, his eyes wide with concern. His fingers gripped Gaara's shoulders until his knuckles turned white, staring into Gaara's aqua eyes.

"Leave me alone! Don't hurt me!" Gaara screamed, shoving Sorji away and scrambling backwards. He fell off the side of the bed, landing with a loud thump as his sand cushioned his fall. His head narrowly missed a crack against the wall had it not been for his over protective sand. He curled up in a ball, covering his face with his hands, sand forming a protective barrier between him and the world.

The door burst open, revealing a frantic Temari and Kankurou, eyes wide. "What happened?" Temari said, looking around at the gigantic ball of sand in the corner of the room, then to where Sorji stood by on the other side of the bed, his face a bloodless white. "Sorji…Why did Gaara scream?" She asked, her tone darkening possessively. She quickly strode over to the ball of sand, crouching down beside it. Gingerly she touched the side of the sphere. Instantly, huge spikes drove towards her with murderous intentions. She jumped backwards, watching as the one protrusion tipped the bed over onto its side, blankets, pillows and the mattress spilling all over the floor. Sorji scrambled away to avoid collision.

"Leave me alone!" The thick layer of sand surrounding him muffled Gaara's scream. "Don't hurt me, please!" He begged, his voice cracking. The sand ball shuddered slightly, the spikes withdrawing, readying themselves for another assault. Silence fell for a moment.

Kankurou was quiet for a moment, then, jumping to a presumed conclusion, lunged forward with a snarl. He grabbed Sorji by the shirt collar, slamming him against the wall. "What did you do?" He shouted, his eyes angry. "What did you do to Gaara!?" He screamed, slamming Sorji against the wall again.

"I…I didn't!" Sorji yelped, grabbing at Kankurou's thick wrists, trying in vain to make the strong puppeteer relinquish his hold. "I didn't hurt him! I swear! I just grabbed his shoulders!"

"Why!" Kankurou screamed. "Tell me now!" He shouted, barely giving Sorji time to answer. His griped tightened on Sorji's collar.

"Stop it both of you!" Temari's scream sliced through the fog of defensive anger, stopping the older boys' fight. She watched, panting, as Kankurou and Sorji slowly released each other. A soft sound alerted the three of them and, as if one, they turned and faced the giant sand ball in horror. Crying. Muffled crying stroked their disbelieving ears as the sand ball loomed ominously before them.

"He's…crying…" Kankurou whispered, his voice cracking as he slowly stepped towards Gaara's defense. Again, huge spike lurched towards him and he had to scramble to get out of the way, his eyes full of hurt. "Gaara it's me, Kankurou!" He begged, one hand stretched out in a silent plea. The spikes only withdrew half-way, proving that Gaara still refused anyone entrance. Kankurou looked back at Temari, his eyes wounded. "Why won't he let me in?" He asked, his voice soft.

Sorji watched as Temari shook her head in a helpless gesture. "Let me try." Sorji whispered, his eyes pleading for a second chance.

"What after you scared him into that shell!?" Kankurou shouted. "No way!" He yelled, then hesitated as the crying increased slightly due to the shouting. He listened for a minute, staring hard at Sorji, then sighed. "Alright…but I'm watching you, if anything looks remotely wrong, my fist with connect with your face, got it!?" He snarled, getting right in Sorji's face for a moment, holding his gaze then turned away, walking over to Temari's side.

Slowly, Sorji took a hesitant step forward, knowing that if he didn't make this right, Gaara would loose all the progress he had made. The soft crying was tearing his heart to shreds…_'don't cry… it's okay…I didn't mean to…I'm sorry…just don't cry…please?'_ He thought, not daring to voice his pleas out loud. Cautiously he slid forward again, almost an arms-length away from the sandy defense. "Gaara…?" He whispered sadly, his eyes misty. He watched as the spikes shifted, gathering themselves for yet another attack. He hesitated. "Gaara…I'm not going to move…I know you wouldn't hurt me…" He whispered hoarsely.

By this point, the crying had softened to the occasional shaky sigh; the silence rang loudly in their ears, weighing on their shoulders like a heavy rock. Sorji stepped closer yet again. The spike flashed forward. Sorji closed his eyes. Temari screamed Gaara's name. Kankurou lurched forward, knowing he'd be too late…

A/N: Ohhhhh cliffhanger! Please review! Anyone who does will get a free cookie and recognition in the next chapter upload! Thank you for reading!

Ara


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